The Origins of the Vietnam War Flashcards
What was the name of the tribe that settled in Vietnam?
Viet
Upon what type of work was the tribe based?
Agriculture
What nation is Vietnam’s traditional enemy?
China
What nation sent troops to conquer Vietnam in 1850?
France
How did the Industrial Revolution help the European Nations conquer the nations of Asia and Africa?
Gave the European nations with weapons far greater than those that Asia and Africa possessed.
What reasons might European nations have had to conquer colonies?
To make money from their colonies, to spread empire and gain power and to spread Christianity.
Ho Chi Minh joined the Communist Party in 1920. Why was he attracted to communism?
He thought that Communism would give the best chance for Vietnam to be free of French rule.
What Asian country occupied Vietnam during WWII?
Japan
What political group did Ho Chi Minh organise in 1941?
Vietminh
When Ho Chi Minh formed the Democratic Republic of Vietnam he wrote a new constitution. Which country’s constitution did he use as a model?
America
What event started the fighting between the French and the Vietminh?
The French wanted to regain control of Vietnam whilst the Vietnamese people were desperate to keep their independence, which led to conflict between both sides.
What areas of Vietnam did the Vietminh control?
Almost all the rural areas of Vietnam were under Vietminh control, especially near northern parts of Vietnam.
Why did President Truman support French efforts to regain control of Vietnam?
Whilst America was not a big fan of imperialism, at the time France was a major ally of USA, and their anti communist beliefs in the European areas were keeping Europe democratic, so whilst they didn’t officially take a side, Truman did support France.
What did Truman do to help the French in Vietnam?
He sent very large sums of money to France in fear that France would be unable to continue fighting in the war.
Who was Bao Dai?
Bao Dai was a Vietnamese Monarch who was put in charge of the government by France, hoping he could rally some support for French rule.
Why did the Vietnamese people not like Bao Dai?
It backfired on him when the Vietnamese just saw him as a puppet for the French. He had little real power and was disregarded of any titles or authority.
What was the name of President Eisenhower’s theory that seemed to prove the importance of Vietnam to the US?
Domino Theory
At what location were the French forces defeated by the Vietminh in a major battle?]
Dien Bien Phu
The Geneva Accords resulted in a division of Vietnam into northern and southern halves. Name one of the leaders of either North or South Vietnam?
Ho Chi Minh was the leader of the Northern area of Vietnam, and Ngo Dinh Diem was the leader of the South.
According to the Geneva Accords, what was to take place in Vietnam in 1956?
Elections which would unify the whole country were to take place in Vietnam in 1956.
Many Americans were sent by Eisenhower to assist Diem. What did the advisors do?
They knew that Ho Chi Minh was much more popular than Diem and would easily win in an election. They called off the election which violated the Geneva Accords. Eisenhower sent many civilian and military advisors to train the South to stand against the invasions coming in from North Vietnam.
Diem was unable to become a successful leader. Name 2 reasons why this is true.
He used repressive tactics to stay in power and his soldiers regularly terrorised the countryside. Suspected communists were tortured and shot without trial, and he did nothing for the benefit of his own people. He viewed Vietnam as a puppet for America.
What were conditions like in North Vietnam?
The repressions were worse than those in the south. Many North Vietnamese people fled for the South. Agricultural lands were redistributed by force. Many Vietnamese Catholics were being persecuted, but Ho Chi Minh still remained more popular as he fought for the independence of Vietnam.
How did the VietMinh react to the news that the elections had been cancelled?
They were ready for open warfare
What was the name of the group of South Vietnamese who rebelled against Diem’s government?
Vietcong
How did the North Vietnamese help the revolt in the South?
The Vietminh helped the Viet Cong revolt by sending support materials through the Ho Chi Minh trail.
What did President Kennedy believe that the South Vietnamese government needed to do to defeat the rebels?
They needed to gain popularity and build a stronger government.
In 1963 what religious group criticised Diem and then was persecuted by him?
The Vietnamese Buddhists, because Diem was Catholic so he was favouring the minority of Catholics.
Who overthrew Diem’s government in 1963 and then executed him?
His own generals
